💻 Computers & Office
How Much Does a Gaming PC Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a gaming pc costs about $10.35 per month at typical usage — 4 hours/day.
Per hour
8.2¢
at 300–800 W
Per day
$0.34
4 hours/day
Per month
$10.35
57 kWh
Per year
$124
679 kWh
A gaming rig with a serious GPU pulls 300–800 watts during play — several times a console. Four hours a day of AAA gaming is a real line item on the bill, comparable to running a window AC unit the same hours.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
8.2¢
Per day
$0.33
Per month
$10.01
Per year
$120
Uses 55 kWh/month at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 5.7¢ | $7.18 | $86.22 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 5.8¢ | $7.24 | $86.90 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 5.9¢ | $7.41 | $88.94 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 6.0¢ | $7.58 | $90.97 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 6.2¢ | $7.75 | $93.01 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 6.2¢ | $7.75 | $93.01 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 6.2¢ | $7.80 | $93.69 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 6.2¢ | $7.80 | $93.69 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 6.4¢ | $8.09 | $97.08 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 6.5¢ | $8.14 | $97.76 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 6.5¢ | $8.14 | $97.76 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 6.5¢ | $8.20 | $98.44 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 6.6¢ | $8.31 | $99.80 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 6.8¢ | $8.48 | $102 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 6.8¢ | $8.48 | $102 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 6.8¢ | $8.59 | $103 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 6.9¢ | $8.65 | $104 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 6.9¢ | $8.71 | $105 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 6.9¢ | $8.71 | $105 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 7.0¢ | $8.76 | $105 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 7.1¢ | $8.93 | $107 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 7.2¢ | $8.99 | $108 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 7.2¢ | $9.05 | $109 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 7.2¢ | $9.05 | $109 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 7.2¢ | $9.10 | $109 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 7.2¢ | $9.10 | $109 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 7.3¢ | $9.22 | $111 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 7.4¢ | $9.27 | $111 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 7.5¢ | $9.44 | $113 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 7.7¢ | $9.61 | $115 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 7.9¢ | $9.90 | $119 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 7.9¢ | $9.95 | $119 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 8.3¢ | $10.46 | $126 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 8.6¢ | $10.80 | $130 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 8.6¢ | $10.86 | $130 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 8.8¢ | $11.03 | $132 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | $0.10 | $12.10 | $145 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | $0.10 | $12.27 | $147 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | $0.10 | $13.06 | $157 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | $0.11 | $13.46 | $162 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | $0.11 | $13.68 | $164 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | $0.11 | $14.25 | $171 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | $0.11 | $14.25 | $171 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | $0.12 | $15.04 | $181 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | $0.13 | $16.00 | $192 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | $0.13 | $16.28 | $196 |
| New York | 29.9 | $0.13 | $16.91 | $203 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | $0.14 | $17.25 | $207 |
| Maine | 32.4 | $0.15 | $18.32 | $220 |
| California | 33.6 | $0.15 | $19.00 | $228 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | $0.22 | $27.14 | $326 |
How to lower the cost
- Cap frame rates to your monitor's refresh — uncapped menus can burn maximum wattage rendering frames you never see.
- Enable GPU power-saving for non-gaming use; browsing shouldn't cost 400 watts.
- Undervolting modern CPUs/GPUs often cuts 10–20% of power at nearly identical performance.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a gaming pc use?
A typical gaming pc draws about 450 watts in use. At 4 hours/day, that works out to roughly 1.8 kWh per day, or 57 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a gaming pc for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 8.2¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 5.7¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's $0.22.
How much does a gaming pc cost to run per month?
With typical usage (4 hours/day), expect about $10.35 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $7.18 in Louisiana up to $27.14 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a gaming pc use a lot of electricity?
It's a moderate load: roughly 6% of an average U.S. home's monthly consumption at typical usage. Noticeable, but not a bill-driver on its own.